Chefs' secrets for getting kids to eat and try new foods

Fanae Aaron was a set designer for "Being John Malkovich," a model maker for "Fight Club" and a draftswoman for the cult film "Memento." A dramatic role the movie-industry veteran wasn't quite sure how to fill? Chief cook and nutritionist for her young son, Cody.

"When my son was born, I was an older mom," she said by phone from her home in the Hollywood Hills. "I guess we think differently, are a bit more studied. When it came time to feed Cody solid food, I knew there was a right way, but I didn't know what that was. I figured professional chefs would have good strategies for feeding their kids."

Thus, the idea for "What Chefs Feed Their Kids" was born. It has been a long ride -- Cody is now 5-1/2 and the book was published last month by Globe Pequot Press. Aaron tracked down eminent chefs around the country, talking to them about what, and how, they feed their own children. The resulting book is a compendium of recipes, tips and strategies organized by age. Recognizing that babies eat differently from toddlers and from tweens, Aaron chose to divide it into sections: 0-1 infancy; 1-2-1/2 after purees; 2-1/2-5 preschoolers; 5-8 big kids; and 8-11 adolescence.

But the real brilliance of the book is the chefs she managed to entice into the project. She assembled Boston's Barbara Lynch, New York's Marc Murphy, Piero Selvaggio of Valentino fame, BT Nguyen of Restaurant BT in Tampa, Fla., and Zack Gross of Z Grille in St. Petersburg, Fla.

"I wanted to find chefs from around the country who were dedicated to feeding their kids and who were insightful. I was looking for chefs with different parenting styles and different backgrounds," Aaron says of her choices.

Nguyen, who contributed a number of recipes to the book, including Vietnamese Shaken Beef and Lemongrass Risotto, has strong opinions about how to acclimate kids to new foods. Her kids don't eat fast food, and for years she brought them hot lunch at school most days.

"Never give kids limitations, never be afraid to introduce them to new things. My secret word to my kids is 'try.' My son, James, who is 9, is a little more timid, but he'll always try -- he can spit it out. Never push, but encourage."

Gross, who contributed straight-up kid-friendly recipes including Strawberry Pancakes, feeds his daughter four evenings a week while his wife oversees the restaurant. In preschool, 4-year-old Zen has entered a "pickier," impressionable stage, so Gross and his wife are careful about expressing their food dislikes around her. Still, Gross tries not to get hung up on "good" foods and "bad" foods. The only off-limit food for Zen? Soda, because, as Gross says, "it's so addictive."

In fact, according to Aaron, this sense of "no limits" may be a defining credo among chef parents. In researching the book, the author found that chefs' children are more willing to try different things, the result of having parents who routinely throw open the whole pantry.

"Chefs don't say to themselves, 'Oh, I'm eating with kids, so it's mac 'n' cheese,' " says Aaron. "It has been surprising what kids choose to eat when you don't restrict them."

Still, Gross' best advice is not to beat yourself up too much if a kid prefers the allures of popcorn, chocolate and cotton candy.

"Everything in moderation," he says. "Sure, I want her to be as adventurous as possible. But you can only be a little kid once."

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH COCONUT PEANUTS AND SCALLIONS

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

3 cups pumpkin or butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes

1/3 cup galangal, sliced (see note)

8 ounces coconut milk

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1-1/2 teaspoons raw or other sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/4 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped or crushed

3 scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped fine

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring broth to a boil. Add pumpkin and galangal (in cheesecloth to remove quickly and easily) and simmer over medium heat for 25 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft. Turn heat down and add coconut milk, soy sauce, raw sugar and salt, stirring until it is combined and sugar is dissolved. Turn the heat off and let cool; remove the galangal.

Puree for babies and freeze leftovers. For adults and older children, serve with finely chopped roasted peanuts and scallions sprinkled on top.

Serves 4.

Note: Galangal is available at some Asian markets. It is similar to fresh ginger.

-- BT Nguyen, Restaurant BT

(Laura Reiley can be reached at lreiley(at)tampabay.com. For more stories, go to scrippsnews.com.)